Life After: The Complete Series

by Julie Hall

  “I don’t know, Aud, I heard it from up the chain. You’ve created quite a stir. A number of people are interested to see how your first official mission goes considering the adventure from your last trip to Earth.”

  I still blushed every time someone brought that up. This time especially since Alrik might know more about that fateful day than he let on. The twinkle in his eye whenever he brought it up said as much. Rather than stand there and argue with him, it was better to go to the source and get some answers. I brushed past him to get to Logan, who was still in conversation with Kevin.

  The casual and friendly air Logan had with Kevin vanished when I faced them. I watched him slip on his mask of indifference. I sighed internally. Was it always going to be this way?

  “What’s this about my first mission being tomorrow?” I pointed a thumb behind me toward Alrik. “He’s got it wrong, right?”

  “Aren’t you hanging out with the girls tonight?”

  “Logan, come on, is there something you’re not telling me? If it’s true, I would have appreciated a little more heads-up, and to have heard it from you.”

  “There’s nothing to give you the heads-up about. You’re not going.”

  He actually had the nerve to turn back to Kevin as if I wasn’t even there. Did he think I was a child he could dismiss with a wave of a hand?

  Peeved, I did the unthinkable and grabbed Logan’s forearm to get his attention. It was barely a fraction of a second before he snatched his arm away from me, but it did the trick. I had his full attention. It only took that moment of contact to realize the indifference he’d tightly cloaked himself in was far from genuine. I was taken aback at the strong emotions churning inside him. He was more worked up about this than I had perceived. There was some satisfaction in that.

  Logan glared back as if I’d committed some giant violation of his privacy. Which I guess I had—he was the most anti-empathy link person I knew—but I was beyond caring.

  “What do you mean I’m not going?” I asked.

  He stepped out of my reach, making it abundantly clear that he didn’t want me to touch him again. Pfft. As if I’d even want to. “I contested the decision. You’re not ready.” He said it matter-of-factly.

  “Excuse me! You contested the decision? What gave you the right?” Unlike Logan, my emotions were on display for everyone to see.

  “The fact that I’m your mentor and I don’t think you’re ready.”

  I flinched as if I had been slapped. I knew Logan wasn’t one hundred percent pleased with my progress so far, but I’d thought I was getting better. To contest an order meant he really doubted my abilities. When I recoiled I might have seen something soften in his eyes, but it was gone in an instant.

  “Hey man, that was kind of harsh.” It was Alrik who spoken up in my defense.

  The way Logan’s eyes never left mine you’d think he hadn’t heard him, but a moment later he addressed Alrik in a way I’d never heard him speak to his friend. “This isn’t your business.”

  “Maybe not, but you know you’re not playing by the rules. She’s right, you don’t have the authority to make that decision even if you are her mentor. If it was a direct order, only Audrey can contest it.”

  I turned my head to gawk at Alrik. Could he be right? When Logan didn’t respond, it verified that Alrik spoke true.

  Man, I could have kissed Alrik! Figuratively speaking, of course. Victory was within my grasp! I smiled brightly back at Logan, ready to end the issue right there and enjoy the rest of my evening. But Logan wasn’t ready to concede defeat. He stared coolly at Alrik.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You weren’t there the first time we went down. It was almost a catastrophe.”

  “Hey, I’d hardly call that fair!” I clenched my teeth. “If you remember, I was the one who finally got us out of trouble.”

  Logan’s eyes widened and then narrowed again as if he were picking up the unspoken gauntlet I’d just thrown down.

  “I had everything under control,” he said. “Besides, it’s not as if your methods would really come in handy in another situation.”

  “At least I know how to think on my feet,” I shot back.

  I was extremely glad we were in a poorly lit section of hallway, because I was certain both our faces were on fire. Luckily, no one except Romona really knew what we were talking about.

  I was so wound up I almost jumped out of my skin when Alrik laid a steady hand between my shoulder blades.

  “Listen, you two, let’s just bring it down a notch. Logan can contest, but I’ve never heard of the council changing a decision because of a mentor’s suggestion. Aud, if you want to go tomorrow, you should be able to.”

  Logan shot Alrik another annoyed look. When in the world had Alrik become the levelheaded one? I knew I was being handled, but considering Logan and I had publicly stumbled upon a very personal topic, it was probably best to listen. Suddenly I didn’t feel like a girl’s night anymore.

  When I opened my eyes in the stillness of my room the next morning, I was assaulted by the nervousness I’d held at bay last night. I’d worn a brave face in front of my friends, but now, listening to the rapid beating of my heart, I was a bundle of doubts.

  I closed my eyes and remembered what it felt like being stalked by an unseen demon. A shudder ran through my body. I had been so scared, desperate even.

  Sitting up, I threw off my comforter, hoping to also throw off the apprehension that had my insides twisted. It didn’t work, and although the temperature in the room was perfect as usual, an uncontrollable shiver ran through my body. I walked to the sink and surveyed myself in the mirror. My hair stuck up at weird angles and tangled its way down my back. My eyes looked darker than usual and my skin paler. Am I crazy or just plain stupid?

  Perhaps I should have swallowed my pride and listened to Logan. If he didn’t think I was ready, what chance did I really have?

  I brought my hands to my face and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I wished for the hundredth time that I knew a little more about my life. Maybe there was a past experience I could draw on to gain confidence. Instead, all I had was a short history of poor performance and rash decisions.

  “Come on, God, if you’re out there, I could use a bit of encouragement and reassurance right about now.”

  I held my breath and waited in silence. For what, I wasn’t sure, but I hoped for something.

  Exhaling harshly, I shook my head. What was I expecting to happen, anyway?

  A loud knock sounded at my door and I almost jumped out of my skin. Frozen in place, my heart raced fast and loud. Was there a chance God had actually heard me and was literally knocking on my door?

  Another loud rap was followed by a voice. “Audrey, are you in there? It’s me, Kaitlin.”

  My heart deflated. I took a quick moment to compose myself, then grabbed an elastic to wrap my hair in a bun. Kaitlin always looked so perfect. Oh well.

  I opened the door. She stood with a big, if somewhat strained, smile on her face.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hi! Romona told me where you lived.”

  Awkward silence followed. What was she doing here, anyway?

  “Oh.”

  “I, ah, could we talk for a sec?”

  It was bizarre to see Kaitlin so unsure of herself. She fidgeted with some bracelets on her right hand and shifted her weight. I was equally curious and cautious.

  I invited her in. Relieved, she gave me a smile that lit up her whole face. She studied my room with interest.

  “Cool chairs,” she finally said.

  “Thanks.”

  “So would you like to sit down?”

  “Yeah, that would be great, thanks.”

  We settled into the overstuffed chairs. The strained smile on Kaitlin’s face faltered.

  “I know you aren’t ready to start confiding in me like you do Romona, but I wanted to let you know I’m supporting your decisio
n to go on this mission today.”

  Kaitlin’s arrival had temporarily pushed that from my thoughts. But the cool fingers of trepidation crept back up my spine.

  “Logan wouldn’t agree with you.”

  She smiled sympathetically. “You know, Logan does have his reasons for not wanting you to go, but you shouldn’t think they all have to do with your ability. I’ve seen you fight, remember—I’ve trained with you. You’re going to be fine.”

  I sat back. “You really think so? Logan was pretty specific about his reasons last night.”

  “Yeah, well, sometimes we don’t always say what we know to be true. And Logan has some fears of his own he’s still working through. Scars that have absolutely nothing to do with you. I think they have more to do with his reaction to your mission than you realize.”

  “What scars?”

  Kaitlin had the sense to squirm uncomfortably. When she answered, it was apologetically.

  “It’s not really my place to say. You’ll have to take it up with Logan. But I do want you to know that I think you’re ready. And I’m not the only one, or else they wouldn’t have assigned you.”

  It was disappointing to have hit another wall where Logan was concerned. Kaitlin had dangled a piece of the puzzle in front of my face only to snatch it away again.

  She took my silence as an invitation to continue. “And besides, you’ll have a lot of people with you.”

  I gave myself a mental shake to get back on topic. “Really? Do you know who will be there? Are you going?”

  “No, I won’t be there. This is something for your region only. But Romona should be there. Maybe even Kevin or Alrik.”

  Kaitlin’s support was a balm for my raw emotions. Despite myself, I was getting closer to her.

  “Thanks, Kaitlin. You’ve actually made me feel a lot better.”

  She smiled knowingly. “I thought you might be a little anxious about today. I didn’t think the bravado from last night was one hundred percent genuine.”

  Her words left me feeling exposed, but I didn’t mind. I found myself wanting to open up to her.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that. I think the adrenaline was talking last night. And there’s another reason I’m glad that you came this morning.”

  “Really, what’s that?”

  “Well, Kevin mentioned we weren’t supposed to wear our armor today, and I think you are the perfect person to help me figure out what to wear instead!”

  Kaitlin gave me one of her megawatt movie-star smiles.

  “You’ve got that right! Time to check out your closet.” She jumped up and faced my closet. “Hey there, Hot Stuff,” she said to the door, “it’s time to see what you’ve really got.”

  Not only was Kaitlin the ideal person to help me figure out what to wear, but she also had me ready in record time, which was why I found myself waiting alone in the training gym before anyone else arrived. As I sat in silence, my mind drifted to my first day of training. I was almost as nervous and unsure now as I had been then.

  I glanced at the weapons wall and pushed off the mat to browse the now familiar objects, silently reciting the names and uses of each. My slow progression stopped when I reached the broad-bladed sword I’d first picked up. I grabbed it with confidence this time and brought the blade up to inspect, catching my reflection in it once more. This time the girl staring back was more familiar. Still mysterious, but certainly recognizable.

  “You shouldn’t be touching those. You could hurt yourself.”

  There was no bang of the door to announce Logan’s entrance this time, and I kept a firm grasp on the hilt. Rather than chilling flatness, there was a warmth in Logan’s voice that made me smile despite myself. I wasn’t the only one being nostalgic this morning.

  I carefully returned the blade to its spot. Logan was standing on the opposite side of the room, the doors still softly swinging shut behind him. I had expected round two of our argument from last night.

  “You think so? Or are you worried I could hurt you with it this time?”

  Logan smiled. “Part of me is always worried you could hurt me.”

  So rarely were his smiles directed at me that I mentally saved this one. It made him appear younger. I appreciated the softness I wasn’t often privy to but purposefully ignored the slight hitch to my breathing that it caused.

  It seemed silly to be talking across the expanse of the room, so I forced myself to confidently stride toward him. When I was halfway there Logan made the decision to meet me in the middle. We stopped our customary distance from each other. Neither one of us invading the other’s bubble.

  “How are you feeling today?”

  I shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”

  He nodded as if I had said something more important. “That’s good.”

  But I couldn’t leave well enough alone. “So how’d your appeal go?”

  “I decided to retract it.” Logan studied my face.

  I was stunned. “Why?”

  Logan smiled. “I was given some good advice that I finally listened to.”

  Huh? Advice? Was Kaitlin the one who had changed his mind? Despite her encouraging words this morning, I realized how desperately I needed to hear some from Logan as well.

  I knew how vulnerable I sounded, but I had to ask. “So does that mean you think I’m ready for this?”

  Logan blew out a quick breath and ran a hand through his unruly locks before answering me, not quite meeting my gaze. “Oh, Audrey, I’m not sure I’m the best person to be assessing that anymore.”

  He said it with a half-laugh as if he considered himself the butt of a joke. Unexpectedly, he took a few steps closer, breaking the invisible barrier we’d been keeping. Something on the inside heated up as I looked up into Logan’s deep blue eyes.

  He was as serious as I’d ever seen. “But Audrey, I promise, I’ll be there the whole time. Nothing is going to happen to you.”

  His gaze intensified. “Nothing.”

  His voice wasn’t loud, but it vibrated in my head as if shouted. My heart thudded inside my chest loud enough to be heard. Any words I might have spoken died in my throat. My only response was to nod and hope he knew I understood.

  The door flew open with a bang as a joking, laughing group of others arrived. I jumped away from Logan guiltily. I hadn’t thought my heart could beat any louder than before, but I was wrong. It took a moment for the erratic beating to subside, and that was only after I realized no one was giving us much notice.

  I glanced at Logan, but he didn’t appear concerned. He strode over to the group to say hello. Man, he could change gears fast enough to give a girl whiplash.

  Romona broke free of the small group. As always, I was grateful for her support. I wondered if I’d had friends as loyal and supportive as her when I was alive. I hoped so. She met me with her familiar friendly smile and a tight hug. I didn’t need to feel her encouragement through the empathy link because her face revealed it clearly enough.

  “Hey, so how are you feeling about this?” Direct and to the point. I both liked and disliked that about her.

  “Good, I think.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll all be there with you.”

  The group atmosphere was unexpectedly chill and relaxed. Any nervous energy in the room was mine alone. The others chatted lightly. Even Logan appeared at ease, trading jokes about demons with Kevin.

  There were fifteen of us total. All of the hunters were familiar, even if I didn’t remember their names.

  “No, I’ve got a better one,” I caught Kevin saying. “What do you call a demon that’s having a bad hair day?”

  He didn’t get to finish because Shannon walked in just then, and all chatter ceased. Taking time to scan our faces, her gaze stopped on mine for an extended moment before traveling on to the next.

  “Thanks for being on time. As you know, I’m here to give you a further rundown of your assignment. I expect you all know at least the preliminary details.”

 
; I inconspicuously scanned the other hunters. Their faces only showed focused attention. No one betrayed any inclination of confusion. Logan had done a poor job of preparing me—again. I heaved a sigh of frustration.

  “You have something to say, Audrey?”

  “What? No, thanks. I mean, sorry, I’m good.”

  The look on Shannon’s face wasn’t exactly disapproving, but I wouldn’t call it benevolent either. After a pregnant pause, she nodded and resumed her speech.

  “Your primary objective today is simple. You are going to be doing some reconnaissance work.”

  Some muffled groans wafted up from the group.

  “I know this is a little basic for most of you. But it’s still necessary. It will also be good for those of you without much ground experience to cut your teeth on something more supervised.”

  I knew whom she was talking about.

  “There has been some out-of-the-ordinary demon activity in the section we are sending you today. You are to split into groups and check out the area, then report back on any findings. You are intended to blend in today, which is why you aren’t in your body armor for this trip.”

  She gave us all a hard stare. “Under no circumstances are you to engage a demon. We have angels standing by to provide extractions should anything dangerous arise, but they are positioned far enough away not to raise suspicion. I need to make sure this point is clear and understood.”

  We nodded obediently.

  Shannon was quick to dismiss us and make her exit. That’s when Logan took over, making quick work of giving us a few basic details.

  We arrived in an abandoned warehouse on Earth with as little fanfare as possible. I was in the first group to be sent down and watched the other hunters arrive, shimmering into being. One moment there was empty air, the next a twinkling, and then a person appearing. I giggled. It looked remarkably like the grainy TV image of Star Trek characters being beamed all over the galaxy—so much so that it hardly seemed coincidental. But how could the creators of a TV show know anything about the afterlife?